We all know that Retro is currently in. It's the main reason why I go to Hot Topic (I certainly don't go in order to engage in conversation with the emo children. Scary ass emo children!), to get the retro cartoon and video game t-shirts that they provide! They're focusing on the 90s Nick shows now, which isn't a bad thing, but Rugrat shirts ALWAYS focus on Tommy and Chuckie, I ain't ever seen a shirt with Phil and Lil, because if there WAS a shirt with Phil and Lil, my ass would be there in a second!

With things like the Virtual Console and the Playstation Network and X-Box Live, retro gaming is also in. Or, at least, it should be. There's just one problem with that. Wii's virtual console is updated every Monday. This is good, in theory, as it means that each Monday there could be the potential to get to play a game that I loved on my television with surround sound. Let me tell you that when Secret of Mana was FINALLY released onto the Virtual Console I wept tears of joy.

Now, with the advent of Wii Ware, it seems that the classic gaming option of the Virtual Console has gone on a severe downward spiral in terms of quantity. Before, when the VC had only classic games, each week would bring at least 3 games added to the catalog. When the Wii Ware debuted, it was lessened to 1 game. Now? Now we're lucky if we get 1 retro game a month. This, people on my friends list, is MADNESS. And let me tell you why: BECAUSE I STILL HAVE AN ENTIRE FREAKING BACKLOG OF GAMES THAT I WANT TO DOWNLOAD AND PLAY AGAIN! Yes, I can get them on Roms, hell, I have most of them in Rom form, but, again, playing on the tv with surround sound just sounds like FUN!

I think of games like Chrono Trigger (one of the best video games of all time, with easily the most wonderful soundtrack in the history of EVER! Marle's theme, Frog's theme, the Zeal theme... dear lord that music makes me happy!), Final Fantasy VI (or, as I like to call it: the REAL reason to play FF. To hell with you, VII!), Pilotwings 64 (the first Pilotwings SUCKED!!!! GET OVER IT! IT'S THE TRUTH!), and, though it's an obvious impossibility, Duck Hunt. And that's just on the tip of the proverbial iceberg. I support game studios making downloadable games, I do, but I also want to play the gems of yesteryear.

And you know what I would truly kill for? Someone... be it the VC or the PSN... to get the rights or whatever the hell it is that they need in order to start releasing some of the games that were released on the Sega Saturn. The Saturn is the ONLY console in gaming history that I lament not owning, because I didn't realize until it was too late that it was the place to go for RPGs and 2D fighting games, two of my favorite genres. Shining Force III, Dragon Force, Guardian Heroes, arcade perfect translations of the VS series? Sweet Jesus...

Further proof that if the world was run by Set, it would be a better place? I think so!